Witness: Three men stole manhole covers in Rochester

According to Police Capt. Paul Toussaint, it’s suspected the manhole covers were stolen to be sold for scrap metal.

He said they were taken from locations on Farmington Road, Northcoast Drive, as well as near the Lilac Mall and Hannaford on Milton Road.

Shortly after 2 p.m. on Tuesday, police issued a “Be On the Look Out” request to local law enforcement agencies, asking them to keep watch for an older model white pickup truck that has a possible connection with the incident.

Toussaint said a witness on Farmington Road reported seeing three males appearing to place a manhole cover in the back of a the white pickup truck, which was then seen heading west on Farmington Road (Route 11).

A further description of the possible suspects was not given by the witness, and no license plate of the pickup truck is available.

If caught, the suspects would face a theft charge, but the level of offense, whether felony or misdemeanor, has not yet been determined. Toussaint said the classification of the charge will depend on the value of the manhole covers.

By late Tuesday afternoon, police had contacted local establishments accepting scrap metal for money, and told them to contact police if they see manhole covers.

The Public Works Department will be responsible for replacing the manhole covers, said Toussaint.

He said these covers are generally heavy, and need a prying mechanism in order to be removed. The ones removed on Tuesday were not in the roadways, said Toussaint; most were stolen from places such as parking lots.